Bobby's Idle Hour

Welcome to Bobby’s Idle Hour—Music Row’s iconic watering hole with live music by local songwriters and musicians. In 1978, Bobby Herald assumed ownership, adding “Bobby’s” to the existing “Idle Hour” sign, and even married his wife, Dianne, in a “bar-side” wedding ceremony. The original location was 1010 16th Ave South, which has been demolished and replaced with condominiums a few years back. Bobby and Dianne moved the bar just up the street to 1028 16th Avenue South in 2005. Bobby passed away that same year, but the bar stayed open thanks to Dianne.

In 2013, songwriter Lizard Thom Case became the new owner of Bobby’s Idle Hour. He said, “I cannot tell you how many people will get in here off that [tour] trolley and say, ‘Why, this here bar is what I’ve been looking for the whole time we’ve been in Nashville — this is a real down-home bar.’”

Then in 2018, owner Lizard Case received some bad news. The building had been sold and Bobby’s was set for demolition and redevelopment as an office building. The bar served its last round at the 16th Avenue location in January 2019, but luckily for all of us, Bobby’s has found a new home, moving just around the corner to 9 Music Square South.

Bobby’s Idle Hour is the only remaining live music venue on Music Row—providing a space for local singers and songwriters to play, pick, and sing, and throw back a cold one!

Continue walking on Music Square South until you reach 16^th Avenue, which also changes names and becomes Music Square East at this intersection. Cross over 16^th Avenue to the Historical Marker for the Koinonia Coffee House. It’s a double-sided marker, so if you don’t see the Koinonia Coffee House text, look on the other side!